New operator in c++

A new operator in C++!

In C++, the new operator is used to allocate memory for an object on the free store (also known as the heap). It is used to create a new object of a given type, and it returns a pointer to the newly allocated memory.

The syntax for the new operator is:

T* p = new T();

Where T is the type of the object being allocated, and p is a pointer to the newly allocated memory.

Here's an example:

int* p = new int();
*p = 5; // assign a value to the newly allocated integer

In this example, new int() allocates memory for a new integer object, and p is a pointer to that memory. The * operator is used to dereference the pointer and access the value stored in the memory.

The new operator can also be used with constructors to initialize the object:

MyClass* obj = new MyClass(5, 10); // allocate memory and call constructor

In this example, new MyClass(5, 10) allocates memory for a new MyClass object and calls the constructor with arguments 5 and 10.

Some important notes about the new operator:

• The new operator returns a pointer to the newly allocated memory, which must be cast to the correct type.
• The new operator can throw an exception if the allocation fails (e.g., if there is not enough memory available).
• The new operator does not automatically call the destructor of the object when it is no longer needed. This is known as a "memory leak".
• The new operator can be used with arrays, in which case it returns a pointer to the first element of the array.

It's worth noting that the new operator is not the only way to allocate memory in C++. The malloc function from the C standard library can also be used to allocate memory, and it is often used in conjunction with the delete operator to deallocate memory. However, the new operator is generally preferred in C++ because it provides more type safety and is more convenient to use.